AS TRANSPORT leaders come to terms with the failure of the congestion charge bid this week, opinion on what the "no" vote means for Trafford remains deeply divided.

Some say the results of the referendum signal the loss of billions of pounds which would have been poured into public transport.

Others claim it has relieved motorists of another "tax."

Among those welcoming the outcome of the public vote is the leader of Trafford Council, who once branded the congestion charge as a "dangerous experiment".

Councillor Susan Williams says the failure of the Transport Innovation Fund bid – which would have seen £2.7bn part-loan, part-grant invested in public transport in exchange for the C-charge – will not spell disaster for the area.

She said: "It has been made very clear that the people of Greater Manchester do not want a congestion charge.

"The leaders of the region’s councils will now discuss how to push for the public transport improvements proposed to continue.

"That is our plan B."

Similarly, Graham Brady, MP for Altrincham and Sale West, said welcomed what he called a "very decisive no" from the region.

"It goes to show that the offer made by the government was bad," he said.

"They were offering over a billion pounds in grants, much of which would have been used to set up the congestion charge scheme, while the rest of the money would have left us with an additional debt in return for an additional tax."

While admitting the country was facing difficult economic times, Mr Brady added that he was still hopeful the region will still see a boost to its public transport network.

But others share little hope of seeing this major investment following the TIF bid’s failure.

Lis Phelan, former leader of the Yes Campaign, said: "There honestly isn’t a plan B.

"The no vote will bring absolutely nothing, the yes vote would have brought with it 10,000 jobs and a massive investment in public transport.

"A lot of people in Trafford were very strongly in favour of the bid– it would have meant for example massive improvements to Altrincham Interchange."

Judie Collins, chairwoman of the Trafford Transport Partnership, which represents passengers as well as transport bosses, fears for the future.

She said: "I want to know what the council will do now to improve services?

"Altrincham Interchange, for example, would have been a big project and my understanding is that it is not going to be a big priority for Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive without the TIF bid.

"They will have to come up with a plan B."

While Trafford Council’s Labour politicians opposed the C-charge, their colleagues in the national arena favoured the scheme.

Bev Hughes, MP for Stretford and Urmston, said the outcome of the referendum had to be respected but added: "The problems of congestion, pollution and climate change and the need for better public transport are not going to go away."

Echoing these thoughts was Sale East MP, Paul Goggins, who was looking forward to improvements such as the extension of the Metrolink service, which would have seen trams running from Sale Moor to Manchester Airport.

"This is a decisive as well as disappointing result," he said.

"The pressure from my constituents for improvements in public transport will continue and, in the longer term, in order to get the economic growth we need, we need to get rid of the congestion which has bedevilled Greater Manchester in the past and will be a brake on job creation in the future."

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